Along with the advance of information processing technology and reduction in size of semiconductor devices in recent years, RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier) tags are used in various situations in the society.
An RFID tag includes a semiconductor chip and an antenna, and the semiconductor chip is operated by an electromagnetic wave received by the antenna. The semiconductor chip stores ID information on an article which is the object of management, and a user manages the article by reading the ID information with an external device.
The object of management includes various articles. For example, merchandise in a shop, transport objects, books, linens, and the like can be managed by using the RFID tags.
Specifications of the RFID tags are optimized depending on the types of the objects of management. For example, when the RFID tags are attached to linens such as clothes and sheets, the RFID tags is provided with flexibility so that the RFID tags can withstand various pressures applied thereto at the time of washing the linens.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a process to extract water from linens at the time of washing.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, linens 2 are put into a water extraction tank 1 and then water is extracted from the linens 2 by application of a pressure from above. When the RFID tags are too rigid, the RFID tags may get broken by the pressure in this process. Accordingly, it is preferable to provide sufficient flexibility to the RFID tags attached to the linens 2.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the ironing process of the linens.
In the example in FIG. 2, a rotary roller 4 is rotated to guide a linen 2 to a gap between the rotary roller 4 and a heating head 3, and the linen 2 is ironed by pressing the linen 2 between the rotary roller 4 and the heating head 3. The ironing machine which employs the rotary roller 4 as described above is called a roll ironer.
When the linens 2 are pressed with the roll ironer, the linens 2 are deformed in accordance with the shape of the rotary roller 4. In order that the RFID tags can follow the deformation of the linens 2, it is preferable to provide flexibility to the RFID tags.
The techniques related to the present application are disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publications Nos. 2012-84050 and 2011-221599.